Mitten

ABSTRACT

A thumb-less mitten comprising an elastic seamless tube of knitted fabric, having a first end section at which the tube is closed, a hand section and a second end section at which the tube is open, the sections being integrally formed;
         wherein the second end section comprises a first portion which has a smaller lateral extent than the hand section.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to mittens, in particular to mittens nothaving a separate thumb section—“thumb-less mittens”, especially tothumb-less mittens that are suitable for children. More particularly,the invention relates to thumb-less mittens made from fabric in aseamless tube.

The problem with traditional hand-wear (e.g. mittens and gloves),especially those designed for children or for users who are incapable ofputting mittens or gloves on by themselves, is that it is often verydifficult to fit the hand-wear on the user. This can be on account ofseveral factors, including a difficulty in getting the hand into theopening of the hand-wear and a difficulty in getting the correct digits(i.e. fingers and thumbs) in the correct portion of the hand-wear; suchdifficulties are exacerbated in young child users who are oftenunwilling to co-operate with the person who is fitting the glove onthem.

The problem of fitting the hand-wear is made even worse by the fact thatit is often very easy for the user to remove the glove. In other words,whilst it is difficult to get the hand-wear on the user, it is easy forthe user to pull them off. In the case of a child, the problem is thatboth gloves and mittens are difficult put on a child, but the childfinds them easy to get off.

Thus, there is a need for a hand-wear article which overcomes theproblems of traditional hand-wear as set out above.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,509 (Was) describes a fingerless garment made from afleece material (specifically Polarfleece®). The garment is formed bystitching together two halves, both of which are made from the samematerial over their whole extent. The material and construction of thedisclosed garment would not satisfactorily overcome the problemsoutlined above. In particular, because the material used to constructthe garment has a relatively low stretchability/elasticity, thenarrowest portion of the garment (i.e. the portion around the wrist whenin use) must be sufficiently wide to allow the widest dimension of auser's hand to pass through. Thus, once the user's hand has beeninserted into the garment, it will be easy for the user to pull or shakeoff the mitten. In addition, the relatively lowstretchability/elasticity of the fabric requires the opening of thegarment (i.e. the arm and upper wrist portion) to be flared and have aplurality of slits, in order that the opening is large enough for athird party to fit the garment on the hand of a user (e.g. a child).Another problem, which follows from the construction of the disclosedgarment, is that there is a seam running around its entire periphery.This would be uncomfortable for a user, and could cause rubbing andirritation; this is of great importance when the user of the garment isa child: such discomfort could prompt the child to attempt to remove thegarment.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention in its various aspects is defined in the independentclaims below, to which reference may now be made. Advantageous featuresare set forth in the appendant claims.

According to the present invention there is provided a thumb-less mittenmade from a seamless tube of knitted fabric, comprising a first endsection at which the tube is closed, a hand section and a second endsection at which the tube is open, the sections being integrally formed;wherein the second end section comprises a first portion which has asmaller lateral extent than the hand section. The seamless tube ofknitted fabric may be elastic. The first portion may be sufficientlyelastic such that it may be elastically stretched to a lateral extentwhich is larger than the largest width of the hand section (e.g. largerthan the largest width of a user's hand).

This solves the problems associated with garments of the prior art forseveral reasons as detailed below. The thumb-less design of the mittenpresents an advantage in the ease with which the mitten may be fitted ona user, particularly where that user is a child. The removal of aseparate thumb portion means the user need not be persuaded to place thecorrect digit in the correct portion, meaning correct orientation of thehand in the mitten is made easier. Further, the lack of a thumb portionrenders it more difficult for a user to pull off the mitten once it hasbeen fitted. Firstly, although the mitten of the present inventionprovides sufficient dexterity for gripping objects (e.g. using aclenched fist grip), the dimensions of the hand section, coupled to thelack of a thumb portion, mean that gripping one gloved hand with theother and removing the mittens is made less easy. Secondly, withconventional gloves/mittens having a thumb portion, the user (especiallya child user) often attempts to remove the glove/mitten by using thethumb portion as a tag to pull on, for example by placing the thumbportion in the user's mouth and moving the hand away from the mouth; thelack of a thumb portion in the present invention removes thispossibility of removal, thereby making it harder to remove the mitten.In addition, the mitten does not have a right or wrong hand (i.e. themitten can be worn equally on either hand), further increasing the easeof fitting for a young child user.

The mitten is constructed from a seamless tube (i.e. a continuous tube)of knitted fabric, preferably a seamless tube (i.e. a continuous tube)of a loop pile lined knitted fabric (e.g. a terry fabric, or terrycloth). The seamless tube may comprise a single layer. A seam runningaround the entire periphery of the mitten (for example as in U.S. Pat.No. 6,058,509) is not required, which greatly increases the comfort forthe user: such a long seam could cause irritation for the user, which inthe case of the child could prompt the child to attempt to remove themitten. In addition, due to the continuous tube construction, whenfitted the mitten creates a single uninterrupted airspace comprisingboth the hand and the arm; in other words, because the hand section andsecond end section (i.e. arm section) are integrally formed, no seam isrequired, and there is therefore no seam (i.e. protruding portion) tointerfere with air flow within the mitten. Accordingly, warmth generatedby body heat emanating from the arm can circulate and travel to the handsection, thereby providing additional warmth to the hand (which wouldotherwise be more likely to become cold). This object is obtainingparticularly when the tube is loop pile lined.

The mitten comprises a first end section at which the tube is closed,e.g. by a single, optionally straight, recessed seam; a hand section,which is large enough to accommodate the hand of a user; and a secondend section at which the mitten is open. The second end section ispreferably the same length as, or longer than, the hand section of themitten; thus, the mitten is difficult to shake off. Such a construction,wherein the second end section is the equal or greater in length thanthe hand section is particularly useful in keeping the mitten on a useronce fitted—even if an attempt is made by the user (e.g. a child) topull the mitten off, the length of the second end section makes it muchharder for the user to remove the mitten completely. This is especiallythe case where the whole second end section has a smaller lateral extentthan the hand section as discussed below.

The sections are integrally formed, which means that no join is requiredbetween the sections, and hence no potentially irritating seam ispresent between the various sections, in particular between the handsection and the second end section. Additionally, a one-piececonstruction is advantageous from a cost, durability and comfortperspective. Two piece constructions require additional manufacturingsteps (hence increasing costs), and leave a seam around a circumferenceof the mitten, which could decrease durability and cause discomfort to auser; the present invention may overcome such disadvantages.

The hand section may be of a generally round shape in profile (i.e. around area for the hand), which increases the ease with which the mittenis fitted.

The second end section comprises a first portion which, when the mittenis in its natural unstretched state (i.e. prior to being fitted on auser), is narrower than the hand section, preferably narrower than themaximum width of a user's hand. This can be achieved, for example, byusing a different stitch/weave in the second end section to that used inthe hand section, by using a different yarn/thread composition in eachsection, or by using a combination of both of these means. Suchtechniques allow for the unstretched diameter (i.e. the relaxed diameterof the tube) to be varied along the length of the mitten (e.g. withoutthe need for an internal seam around the periphery of the mitten).

When a mitten of the present invention is worn by a user, and themitten's dimensions are designed for the user's hand and arm size, itwill be appreciated that the user's hand will fit in the hand section(possibly with fingers extending into the closed first end section), theuser's arm will be positioned in second end section (the second endsection could be called an “arm section”), and the first portion of thesecond end section will be positioned approximately around the user'swrist (the first portion could be called a “wrist section”).

The second end section may comprise a first portion which is knittedusing a stitch pattern that has a greater tendency to contract laterallythan the stitch pattern with which the hand section is knitted, suchthat the first portion adopts a first relaxed configuration having asmaller lateral extent than the hand section. The term “stitch pattern”is refers to the repeating sequence of stitches (e.g. 1 knit, 1 purl)used to knit a particular portion/section of the mitten, as would bewell known to one skilled in the art. Preferably the first portion isknitted using a stitch pattern having longitudinal ribbing, for examplemock rib, for example 3×1 mock rib. The hand section may, on the otherhand, be plain knit. The ribbing in the first portion of the second endsection may have a tendency to contract laterally, such that the ribbedfirst portion of the tube is narrower than the hand section when in anunstretched (i.e. relaxed) state. Such a ribbed stitch may beparticularly advantageous because it may still be stretched to a maximumwidth that is approximately equal to the maximum stretched width of thehand section, despite starting from a smaller width.

The first portion of the second end section may in addition oralternatively comprise a different material composition to that used inthe hand section. The first portion of the second end section may beknitted from a material which has a higher elasticity than the materialfrom which the hand section is knitted, such that the first portionadopts a first relaxed configuration having a smaller lateral extentthan the hand section. The first portion may contain a greaterproportion of a material with a higher elasticity than the othermaterials used in mitten, when compared to the hand section. Forexample, the first portion of the second end section may contain agreater proportion of elastane than the hand section. The first portionmay contain, for example, between 0-25% of elastane, preferably between2-10% elastane, preferably between 4-8% elastane, preferably 6%elastane. The hand section may also contain elastane, but preferably ina proportion which is less than that contained in the first portion ofthe second end section.

The use of such knitting techniques and materials provides verysatisfactory results in the finished article. Such knitting techniquesalso allow the finished article to have only a single layerconstruction. This maintains a good degree of dexterity and comfort forthe user, by preventing shearing between layers that can occur with adual (or multi-) layer construction.

Preferably, when the mitten is in its natural unstretched state (i.e.prior to being fitted on a user), the whole or entire second end sectionis narrower than the hand section, preferably narrower than the widestpart of a user's hand. This can be achieved by extending the same orsimilar weaves/materials as described above for the first portion to thewhole of the second end section.

Preferably, the first portion of the second end section is immediatelyadjacent to the hand section (such that it is positioned approximatelyaround the wrist of a user when the mitten is fitted). Preferably thefirst portion is narrower than the remainder of the second end section.This can be achieved using combinations of the techniques and materialsdescribed above; for example the first portion could contain moreelastane than the remainder of the second end section, or the firstportion could be knitted with a weave that has a greater tendency tocontract than the remainder of the second end section. Alternatively, orin addition, the first portion may be knitted in a tighter quality thanthe remainder of the second end section.

Such tightening around the first (wrist) portion ensures the handsection remains in place. Further, the first (wrist) portion isparticularly stressed during use (e.g. as it is liable to be stretchedand contracted more times than other parts of the mitten). Thus, it isparticularly advantageous if this portion does not loosen during wear,as this could allow the hand to move out of the hand section, causinguncomfortable restriction of hand movement, and also creating a space atthe first end section which could be chewed and also pulled off whengrasped in the mouth. Such action could cause the hand section and firstend section to become less securely fitting on account of it beingstretched during normal wearing. For these reasons it is preferably forthe first portion to be narrower than the remainder of the second endsection. A mitten having these features may display increased thelongevity, durability and comfort of the mitten.

The mitten is easy to fit on the hand of a user: the material from whichthe mitten is made, along with the weave that is employed in the firstportion (and second end section), provides the first portion withsufficient stretchability (and elasticity) such that it may be stretchedto a diameter which is larger than the maximum width of a user's hand.Thus, the hand may easily be inserted into the hand section. Preferably,due to the specific stretchability (and elasticity) of the arm section(i.e. the second end section including the first portion and endportion), it is possible for two adult hands to gather up the armsection and pull it over the hand of a user (e.g. a child).Subsequently, when the mitten is released, the mitten (in particular thesecond end section) will then contract to fit snugly over thearm/forearm of the user. This makes it easier to put the mitten on theuser/wearer. Once the mitten has been fitted on a user, the firstportion will tend to contract back to its natural/relaxed diameter (onaccount of its elasticity). This relaxed diameter is smaller than themaximum diameter of the hand of a user. Thus, the mitten will beretained on the user since the mitten cannot be removed withoutstretching of the first portion, which requires some effort. Preferably,the first portion is narrower than the wrist/arm of a user. In thiscase, after fitting the mitten, the first portion will contract aroundthe wrist/arm of the user, gripping the arm and helping to retain themitten. Preferably, the entire second end section is narrower than thehand section, such that after the mitten is fitted, the whole second endsection will contract around the wrist/arm of a user, thereby grippingon the wrist/arm and preventing the mitten being removed withoutsubstantial effort.

Thus, mittens of the present invention require little skill or effort toput on, and will be suitably retained on the user until sufficienteffort is imparted to remove them.

The second end section may also comprise an end portion, positioned atthe open end of the mitten, which is integrally formed with the secondend section (i.e. no seam is required to join the various parts of thesecond end section). The end portion of the second end section ispreferably a turnover portion, as is known in the art, and is preferablynot terry fabric (i.e. it is preferably not loop pile lined).Preferably, the end portion is of a different stitch pattern/weave or ofa different material than the rest of the second end section. Forexample, the end portion of the second end section may be a 1×1 mock ribturnover, whereas the rest of the second end section may be a differentstitch pattern/weave, e.g. a 3×1 mock rib turnover. Having a turnoverportion at the open end of the mitten is particularly advantageous as itprevents fraying at the end of the tube and provides a neat and durablefinish. The stitch pattern/weave of the end portion may also be chosento be more or less elasticated than the rest of the second end section,as is desired.

The end portion of the second end section may serve several advantageouspurposes. The end portion may be knitted to have increased elasticityand strength (e.g. using the techniques described above); this isparticularly important as the end portion may receive the most stressduring wearing and putting on. An end portion of a different stitchpattern/weave, material, and/or having a turnover, may thereforeincrease the durability of the mitten and reduce distortion of themitten itself which may occur during wearing. Further, an end portion ofgreater elasticity may increase the amount with which the end portiongrips the arm, thus improving the ability of the mitten to stay in placeon the arm in the desired location.

The end portion may have a smooth finish at the open end of the mitten,for example by using a turnover (e.g. such that the inside of the endportion is smoother than the terry loops inside the rest of the secondend section). This may increase the comfort of the mittens on the user,for example by reducing rolling up or ridding up of the open edge of themitten, and also creating a smoother profile when a coat or sleeve isbeing pulled over it. The smooth finish to the open end of mittenreduces the likelihood of it catching or snagging on things, therebyincreasing comfort and durability of the mitten.

The mitten may also include written information (e.g. a brand name)woven into its fabric. Preferably such writing may be incorporated inthe end portion of the second end section.

Thumb-less mittens of the present invention may be made from acontinuous tube of knitted fabric, preferably a continuous tube of looppile lined fabric (e.g. terry fabric). Such continuous knitted tubes canbe manufactured using processes well known in the art, for example bycircular knitting (e.g. on circular or double-pointed needles),preferably using a modern industrial knitting machine. Thumb-lessmittens of the present invention may be made, for example, on a standardSanGiacomo Lintoe machine.

Various textile materials can be used in conjunction with the presentinvention, for example yarns and threads of various materials. Thematerials may be natural, such as wool (e.g. sheep wool), cotton or thelike, man made, such as elastane, polyester, acrylic, nylon or the like,or a combination of more than one of these materials. Preferably, thematerial is a blend of wool (preferably merino wool) and acrylic,preferably in the ratio of wool:acrylic of between 2:1 to 1:2,preferably in a ratio of 1:1, optionally with other components such asnylon and elastane. Such a material provides good warmth and durabilityto the finished garment, as well as allowing a high level of comfort forthe user. Preferably, the overall composition of the mitten is 0-50%(preferably 42%) merino wool, 0-50% (preferably 42%) acrylic, 0-25%(preferably 12%) nylon (polyamide) and 0-25% (preferably 4%) elastane.As previously described, the composition may vary along the length ofthe tube making up the mitten (e.g. so all the elastane is located inthe second end section, with none in the hand section or first endsection). For example, the hand section and first end section may have acomposition of 44% merino wool, 44% acrylic and 12% nylon; the secondend section may have a composition of 41% merino wool, 41% acrylic, 12%nylon and 6% elastane. Preferably, the material from which the mitten ismade is not a fleece material (e.g. is not a polyester fleece material).

According to one aspect of the present invention, the mitten has one ormore elements disposed thereon, preferably disposed at least on the handsection and/or first end section of the mitten. Preferably the elementsare made from a polymer material, such as a plastics material (e.g.PVC), or the like. Other suitable polymer/plastics materials would beknown to those skilled in the art. In the present specification, theterm “a polymer material such as a plastics material or the like” isintended to include silicone (which advantageously includes nophthalate) and other such materials. Preferably the elements aredisposed on both sides of the first end section and hand section, suchthat the “ambidextrous” nature of the mittens is retained. Preferablythe elements are made of silicone. Preferably the one or more elementsare a plurality of silicone dots. The elements may be applied usingmethods and techniques known in the art.

The one or more elements may provide the mitten with a pleasingaesthetic appearance—an important consideration in children'sclothing—and the elements may be in the form of a pattern (eitherindividually, e.g. as individual snow flakes, or together forming alarger pattern). The elements may be in a variety of colours, usingtechniques well known in the art (e.g. including dyes in thepolymer/plastics material). Where the elements are silicone elements,the dye may be a non-water-based dye.

Preferably, the elements may also provide an enhanced grip for a user ofthe mittens. For example, the element material may be chosen to have a‘tacky’ feel to aid such grip: silicone is particularly advantageous inthis respect. Further, the plurality of spots may provide a furtherimportant advantage, namely that they may help to reduce pilling of theknitted fabric making up the mitten, and may also reduce thepull-through of loops which make up the knitted fabric. The elements maytherefore increase the durability of the mittens, and maintain a tidyvisual appearance throughout the life of the mittens. Thus, although itwill be appreciated that the precise number and positioning of theelements is not critical, there will preferably be sufficient coverageof the hand section by the elements to provide a reasonable increase ofgrip to the user and protection to the surface from pilling andsnagging, preferably on both sides of the mitten.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the one or moreelements may be made of a material which is reflective to light—forexample a reflective component (e.g. a reflective dye) may be includedin the material from which the elements are made. The elements may bemade of silicone which has been impregnated with a fluorescent orluminescent dye, in particular a non-water-based dye. This can increasethe visibility of a user of the gloves, which is particularlyadvantageous when the user is a child, for example to make the childuser more visible to car drivers or similar. Alternatively, or inaddition, the mittens may be knitted with a material (e.g. wool) whichincludes a reflective, fluorescent, or luminescent dye.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the open end of the mittenmay have some silicone or rubber on the inside edge. This can preventthe second end section, in particular the forearm section, from ridingdown the arm when being worn.

The present invention provides several further advantages in addition tothose outlined above. The mitten of the present invention provides thearm of a user with additional insulation. The single unit for the handmeans it is easy to get on and keeps the hand warm, while the stretch ofthe fabric allows for movement of the hand and fingers and thumb. Inaddition, the construction of the present invention leads to severaladvantages (in addition to those previously described) which may nothave previously been realised: (i) the lack of separate finger/thumbsections means that the surface area of the mitten is reduced, therebyreducing heat loss; (ii) there are no double section of fabric (as wouldoccur at any regular seam or where and section folds back on anothersection—e.g. a thumb section onto the palm of the hand), and thus thefabric of the mitten can be thicker without the usual resulting loss ofmovement or discomfort caused by increased bulk at doubled sections. Themitten can therefore be made of a thicker and possibly more insulatingfabric without the usual resulting discomfort that comes with increasedbulk; (iii) the lack of a thumb section can reduce the likelihood ofthumbs being bent back during a fall.

It will be appreciated that although the present invention has beendescribed with reference to a thumb-less mitten, it would be possible toapply some of the techniques described herein to mittens having aseparate thumb portion. Such mittens would benefit from many of theadvantages described herein, although would be more difficult to put on(because the correct digits would need to be inserted in the correctportions). The applicant therefore currently prefers to use thumb-lessmitten designs, particularly when the mittens are designed for children,especially young children.

Throughout this specification, “children” refers to a young human beingbelow the age of full physical development, e.g. below the age of 10,and in particular to toddlers (i.e. young children who are justbeginning to walk), e.g. below the age of 5, 4, 3 or 2.

The terms “radial”, “lateral”, and “longitudinal” relate to the tube ofmaterial which makes up the mitten of the present invention. The tube ofmaterial can be broadly described as having a longitudinal axis, runningthrough the centre of the tube (i.e. from the open end of the mitten tothe closed end of the mitten); thus a “longitudinal direction” refers toa direction approximately parallel to this longitudinal axis. The terms“radial direction” and “lateral direction” refer to directions which areapproximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Thus a radial orlateral expansion of a portion of the mitten refers to the tube beingstretched from having a smaller diameter or circumference, to having alarger diameter or circumference. The term “lateral extent” refers tothe size of the mitten in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis; it is approximately equivalent in meaning to the width of themitten or the narrowness of the mitten. Further, if the tube is held ina broadly cylindrical configuration (e.g. approximately as the secondend section is when fitted around the arm of a user), the term “lateralextent” is approximately equivalent in meaning to the circumference ofthe tube. This also applies in relation to the hand section.

The term “stretchable” and “stretchability” refers to the ease withwhich the fabric making up the mitten can be stretched (i.e. increasedin length); this is related, in an inverse relationship, to the elasticresistance of the fabric to a deforming force imparted on the fabric. Anumber of factors may influence the stretchability of a fabric,including the material from which the fabric is made, and the particularweave used to make the fabric. The terms “elasticity” and “elasticated”have their normal meanings and refer to the tendency of a body ormaterial to return to its original shape after it has been stretched orcompressed. A material with a higher elasticity will have a greatertendency to return to its original shape after is has been stretched.“Elastically stretched” means that the mitten (or portion thereof) issubjected to a deforming force that stretches the mitten (or portionthereof) to a point within its elastic limit, such that it returns toits original shape once the deforming force is removed.

The degree of ribbing may be denoted in the form “n×m” (e.g. 1×1 or 3×1)as is well known in the art. A fabric with n×m standard ribbing has arepeating pattern of n knit stitches, followed by m purl stitches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example,with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a thumb-less mitten embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through a thumb-less mitten embodying thepresent invention, in which the mitten has been fitted on the hand of auser;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a thumb-less mitten 1 is made from a seamless tube ofknitted fabric 2. The mitten 1 comprises a first end section 3 at whichthe tube 2 is closed by a recessed and flat seam 11. The seam 11 is alintoe seam which uses nylon thread. Immediately next to the first endsection 3, the mitten 1 has a hand section 4, which is designed toaccommodate the hand of a user. It will be appreciated that the user'shand (e.g. the ends of their fingers) can also be partially positionedin the first end section 3. The first end section 3 and the hand section4 are both made of a plain knit terry fabric, with the terry loops (notshown) facing the interior of the mitten 1; the material is plain kniton 24 gauge (112 needle machine). The first end section 3 and handsection 4 are knitted from a material which is a blend of merino wool,acrylic and nylon (polyamide), for example approximately in thefollowing amounts: 44% merino wool, 44% acrylic and 12% nylon.

The mitten 1 further has a second end section 5, at the end of which thetube 2 is open. The second end section 5 is immediately adjacent to andintegrally formed with the hand section 4. The second end section 5 hasa first (wrist) portion 6 adjacent to the hand section 4, a second (arm)portion 7 and a third (end) portion 8. The wrist portion 6 and the armportion 7 are both made of terry fabric, knitted to a 3×1 mock ribpattern, with the terry loops again facing the interior of the mitten 1.The ribs 10 are illustrated on the figure. The end portion 8 is aturnover (i.e. the end of the tube 2 is folded inside itself and sewn),knitted to a 1×1 mock rib pattern; it is not made of terry fabric. Theentire second end section 5 is knitted from a material which is a blendof merino wool, acrylic, nylon (polyamide) and elastane, for exampleapproximately in the following amounts: 41% merino wool, 41% acrylic,12% nylon and 6% elastane.

The second end section 5 is narrower that the hand section 4 when bothsections are in their relaxed states. This is as a result of thedifferent weaves of the second end section 5 and hand section 4, andalso because the second end section 5 comprises elastane. The second endsection 5 is therefore more elasticated and has a tendency to contractlaterally (i.e. in a radial direction), thus making the knitted tube 2in the second end section 5 narrower than the knitted tube 2 in the handsection 4. The weave and composition of the second end section 5 is alsomore stretchable than the hand section 4, such the second end section 5,stretched to a maximum, can have the same diameter as the hand section 4when it is stretched to its maximum. The wrist portion 6 is made of thesame weave as the arm portion 7, and has the same composition ofmaterial. However, the wrist portion 6 is narrower in its relaxed statethan the arm portion 7; this is because the wrist portion 6 is knittedin tighter quality than the arm portion 7, which causes the wristportion 6 to have an even greater tendency to contract than the armportion 7.

The hand section 4 and first end section 3 are wide and long enough toaccommodate the hand of a user (i.e. the mitten 1 can be made indifferent sizes for different users—e.g. for different age ranges ofchildren). The second end section 5 is designed to be, in its relaxed(i.e. unstretched) configuration, narrower than the width of a user'shand, and have preferably approximately the same or narrower diameterthan the diameter of a user's wrist and arm. The wrist portion 6 isnarrower than the remainder of the second end section 5, and is designedto be narrower in diameter than the diameter of a user's wrist, suchthat the wrist portion 6 is stretched laterally away from its relaxedconfiguration when the mitten 1 is fitted on the user. The wrist portioncan, however, stretch sufficiently to allow easy access to the handsection 4 for the user's hand.

Thus, the mitten 1 may be fitted on a user, with the user's hand in thehand section 4 and first end section 3. The second end section 5 isdesigned to fit on the arm of a user, and may therefore extend such thatit reaches up to the elbow, or even further up a users arm. The secondend section 5, for example, has a length equal to or greater than thehand section 4.

The mitten 1 may be easily fitted on a user, for example because thesecond end section 5 can be stretched sufficiently to be greater indiameter than the largest width of a user's hand. Further, because thereare no separate sections for individual digits (e.g. no thumb, and nofingers), the mittens 1 are very easy to fit on a user.

Once fitted on a user, the diameter of the second end section 5 (e.g.the diameter of the wrist portion 6 and arm portion 7) relative to thediameter of the user's arm, wrist and the width of their hand, mean thatthe mitten 1 is retained satisfactorily on the user. This is in partbecause with the mitten 1 fitted on the user, the second end section 5(in particular the wrist portion 6) will be in a stretchedconfiguration, and will tend to contract around the arm and wrist(because of it's elasticity), thereby gripping the user's arm and wristand retaining the mitten 1. Further, in order for the mitten 1 to beremoved, the second end section 5 would have to be stretched further topass over the widest part of the user's hand. Thus removing the mitten 1is more difficult.

All parts of the mitten 1 are integrally formed and make up the tube ofknitted fabric, although different weaves are present along the lengthof the mitten 1. The mitten 1 has, for example, the following overallcomposition: 42% merino wool, 42% acrylic, 12% nylon and 4% elastane.

The mitten 1 comprises a plurality of elements (spots or dots) 12 on thehand and end sections, which are made of silicone. The exact position ofthese spots 12 is not of critical importance and they are shown in FIG.1 for illustrative purposes. Preferably the elements are positioned toavoid the seam 11.

FIG. 2 shows a thumb-less mitten 1 which has a round area 3,4 for thehand comprising a hand section 4 and an end section 3, which is easy toget on. The figure shows a faint image of a hand 13 to show thepositioning of the mitten 1 on the hand 13 and arm.

The long, more elasticated section 5 from wrist to elbow means themitten 1 stays on even with the most vigorous shaking. The lack of sideor joining seams means there is much less irritation and the item is acontinuous construction, smoothly forming to the arm and hand.

The mitten 1 is made from a continuous knitted loop pile lined tube 2.The loop pile stretchy tube 2 fabric is cushioned and terry loop lined(not shown).

The area 3,4 into which the hand goes has a minimal seam 11 just belowthe top on one side that seals the tube 2. The seam 11 is a recessedflat seam and is on one side of the mitten 1 only.

Not having a right/wrong or left/right reduces the time and fussinginvolved. The lack of finger separation keeps the hand and fingers inthe same areas and reduces heat loss.

The construction is circular and therefore there is no right or wrongway around or right or left mitten—though they do come as a “pair”.

The entire piece 1 is made of the same construction though of adifferent weave (as shown at 10 and 9). The wrist section 5 is ribbed 10and is more elasticated and so fits along the arm up to or over theelbow joint. This ensures that the item stays on without additionalfastenings or openings. In other words, the section 5 is ribbed 10 andis elasticated more strongly than the hand section 4 to keep the tubesnug to the arm.

The section 5 from the wrist up the arm is longer than the length of thearea 3,4 into which the hand goes. There is no seam joining the handsection 4 and the arm section 5; thus, there are seamless transitionsbetween different type of ribbed weave 10 for the wrist section 5.

The open end of the mitten 1 (at the end of the wrist section 5) reachesapproximately up to the inside elbow bend of the arm of a user whenworn.

The thumb-less mitten shown in FIG. 1 comes in pairs; they are the sameback, front and sides with the exception of the recessed seam 11. Theydo not create any separation for the fingers, thumb or hand 13 when wornbut good movement is possible because of the fabric, being of acontinuous knitted loop pile lined tube construction 2. The length ofthe wrist section 5 is at least the length of the area 3,4 for the hand.

The following numbered paragraphs disclose further aspects of thepresent invention:

1. A thumb-less mitten made from continuous knitted loop pile linedfabric.

2. A thumb-less mitten with the wrist section the same or greater lengthas the hand section.

3. A thumb-less mitten that can be worn on either hand.

4. A thumb-less mitten with a long elasticated wrist section that fitssnugly to the arm without additional fastenings or openings.

5. A thumb-less mitten that is put on and removed by the stretching ofthe fabric without additional fastenings or openings.

6. A thumb-less mitten that has only a single seam near the top of thehand section that seals the tube.

1. A thumb-less mitten comprising an elastic seamless tube of knittedfabric, having a first end section at which the tube is closed, a handsection and a second end section at which the tube is open, the sectionsbeing integrally formed; wherein the second end section comprises afirst portion which has a smaller lateral extent than the hand section.2. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the first portionis sufficiently elastic such that it may be elastically stretched to alateral extent which is larger than the largest width of the handsection.
 3. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the wholesecond end section has a smaller lateral extent than the hand section.4. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the second endsection is as long as or longer than the hand section.
 5. A thumb-lessmitten according to claim 4, wherein the second end section is as longas or longer than the combined length of the hand section and first endsection.
 6. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the firstportion of the second end section is knitted using a stitch pattern thathas a greater tendency to contract laterally than the stitch patternwith which the hand section is knitted, such that the first portionadopts a first relaxed configuration having a smaller lateral extentthan the hand section.
 7. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 6,wherein the first portion of the second end section is knitted using astitch pattern having longitudinal ribbing.
 8. A thumb-less mittenaccording to claim 6, wherein the first portion of the second endsection is knitted using a 3×1 mock rib stitch pattern.
 9. A thumb-lessmitten according to claim 6, wherein the whole second end section isknitted in a stitch pattern that has a greater tendency to contractlaterally than the stitch pattern with which the hand section isknitted, such that the whole second end section adopts a first relaxedconfiguration having a smaller lateral extent than the hand section. 10.A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the first portion ofsecond end section has a smaller lateral extent than the rest of thesecond end section.
 11. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 10,wherein the first portion of the second end section is knitted in atighter quality than the rest of the second end section.
 12. Athumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of thesecond end section is knitted from a material which has a higherelasticity than the material from which the hand section is knitted,such that the first portion adopts a first relaxed configuration havinga smaller lateral extent than the hand section.
 13. A thumb-less mittenaccording to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the second endsection is made of a material which has a higher proportion of elastanethan the hand section.
 14. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 13,wherein the first portion of the second end section comprises between4-8% elastane and wherein the hand section comprises no elastane.
 15. Athumb-less mitten according to claim 12, wherein the whole second endsection is knitted from a material which has a higher elasticity thanthe material from which the hand section is knitted, such that the wholesecond end section adopts a first relaxed configuration having a smallerlateral extent than the hand section.
 16. A thumb-less mitten accordingto claim 1, wherein the first portion of the second end section isimmediately adjacent to the hand section.
 17. A thumb-less mittenaccording to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the second endsection is more stretchable in a lateral direction that the handsection.
 18. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 1, wherein theknitted fabric is knitted loop pile lined fabric.
 19. A thumb-lessmitten according to claim 1, wherein the material from which the mittenis knitted comprises wool and acrylic in a ratio of wool:acrylic ofbetween 2:1 to 1:2.
 20. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 19,wherein the material further comprises nylon.
 21. A thumb-less mittenaccording to claim 1, wherein the second end section is sufficientlylong to extend up the arm of a user for which the mitten is designed, toreach at least the elbow of that user.
 22. A thumb-less mitten accordingto claim 1, wherein the mitten has one or more elements disposed on itsouter surface.
 23. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 22, whereinthe one or more elements are made of a polymer material such as aplastics material or the like.
 24. A thumb-less mitten according toclaim 23, wherein the one or more elements are made of silicone or PVC.25. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 22, wherein the one or moreelements are made from a material that comprises a substance which ishighly reflective to light.
 26. A thumb-less mitten according to claim22, wherein the one or more elements are made from a material thatcomprises a fluorescent or luminescent substance.
 27. A thumb-lessmitten comprising a seamless tube of knitted fabric, having a first endsection at which the tube is closed, a hand section and a second endsection at which the tube is open, the sections being integrally formed;wherein the mitten has one or more elements made of a polymer materialsuch as a plastics material or the like disposed on its outer surface.28. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 27, wherein the one or moreelements are made of silicone or PVC.
 29. A thumb-less mitten accordingto claim 27, wherein the one or more elements are made from a materialthat comprises a substance which is highly reflective to light.
 30. Athumb-less mitten according to claim 27, wherein the one or moreelements are made from a material that comprises a fluorescent orluminescent substance.
 31. A thumb-less mitten according to claim 27,wherein the seamless tube of knitted fabric is an elastic seamless tubeof knitted fabric.